Chapter 16 – First Ring
The night after the battle burned itself into silence. The corpses of bandits smoldered in the embers of their own folly, and the road that once echoed with screams now lay quiet under the canopy of the Fae Wood the Crimson Blade has meant the Unruly End of a blade.
But within the Goldbear estate, a different storm raged.
Glic sat cross-legged in his private chamber, his robe stripped down to the waist, bandages binding his wounds. His breath slowed into a steady rhythm as the System pulsed in his mind, guiding him toward the edge of a breakthrough unlocking the mysteries of wizardry.
[Condition Met: Host has accumulated sufficient battle experience and system synchronization.]
[Initiating Advancement Protocol.]
[Warning: Process will place extreme strain on body and mind. Proceed?]
Glic exhaled slowly. His lips curled faintly. "Proceed."
The Sea Within
Pain exploded through him instantly.
His consciousness was ripped into the depths of his own soul, where a vast, stormy ocean stretched before him—his Spiritual Sea. Until now it had been shallow, fragile, waves breaking against brittle banks.
But now the System descended like a comet, its crystalline voice reverberating through the waters.
[Expanding Host Spiritual Sea.]
[Condensing Mana Core: Stage One.]
The ocean roared, waves surging as his consciousness convulsed. Energy poured into him, violent and untamed. His veins burned, his bones screamed, his thoughts blurred at the edges of madness.
Yet through the agony, he clung to his will. I am Edward McAllister. I am Glic Goldbear. I will not break.
The storm peaked.
And then—clarity.
The waves settled into a deeper, vaster ocean. At its center floated a faintly glowing ring of mana, stable and bright.
His first.
Glic's eyes snapped open. His breath left him in a shuddering exhale, and for a moment the room pulsed with the pressure of his new power.
The candle flames bent toward him, the air itself vibrating.
He smiled thinly. "So this is what it feels like… to step forward."
The System chimed.
[Congratulations, Host. Advancement Complete.]
[Stage: 1 Ring Wizard Apprentice.]
[Spiritual Sea Capacity: Expanded.]
[Mana Recovery: Doubled.]
[Stat Boost: +2 Intelligence, +2 Spirit, +1 Constitution.]
New Module Unlocks
More notifications followed in rapid succession:
[Spell Merge Module Expanded.]
Options Available:
• Creature/Item + Two (2) Zero-Ring Spells.
• Creature/Item + One (1) First-Ring Spell.
[Combat Simulator Unlocked.]
Function: Recreate past battles or simulate new scenarios against projected opponents.
Note: Death in simulation will not harm host, but pain will be felt.
Glic's eyes gleamed. "A combat simulator… that means I can refine tactics endlessly, without losing men or resources."
The implications stretched before him like a tapestry. With enough training cycles, he could polish strategies until they were flawless. Even wizards many stages above him wouldn't hold that advantage.
To test his new strength, he lifted his hand. Mana surged more smoothly than ever before, flowing into the Ray of Frost spell. A shard of ice condensed instantly in his palm, sharper, denser, thrumming with lethal cold.
He flicked it forward.
Crack!
The shard embedded itself in the stone wall, frost spreading in jagged veins across the surface. Stronger, cleaner, faster.
His lips curved in satisfaction. "One Ring spells… with the System's merging, the possibilities are endless."
He could already see it: a frog fused with two Zero-Ring spells at once, or a warbeast infused with a full One Ring combat spell. Entirely new monsters, entirely new tactics.
And that was only the beginning.
He leaned back, closing his eyes, letting the System's hum settle into the rhythm of his heartbeat. His body ached, his blood still thin from the battle, but his mind soared.
This is only the first step. From 0-Ring apprentice to 1-Ring… Soon, to Formal Wizard. Then Adept. Then beyond. But one thing is clear—
His gaze hardened.
I am no longer simply Edward the scientist, nor only Glic the viscount. I am something new. A wizard armed with a system of war.
The candles flickered, casting shadows of power across the chamber walls.
And far beyond, in the dark corners of the kingdom, whispers of the Crimson Blade's annihilation had already begun to spread. Whispers that would draw attention—both wanted and unwanted—toward the Goldbear name.
But Glic was ready.
Now, he had the power to answer.